1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a knife edge stalk roll for a corn header.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modern corn headers are provided with a number of row crop dividing snouts for directing the corn stalks into harvesting gaps defined by the snouts. Gathering chains located in the harvesting gaps draw the stalks towards the header. Stalk rolls located beneath the gathering chains pull the stalks rapidly downward returning the stalk to the field. Two snapper bars are located in the harvesting gap above the stalk rolls. The snapper bars are spaced from one another to prevent ears of corn from passing between the bars. The ears are snapped from the stalk and directed to the combine by the corn header.
Current residue management rules mandate that the farmer keep a certain percentage of crop residue on the land to prevent erosion. With new minimum tillage practices it is becoming increasingly important to chop up the corn stalks before returning them to the field so they more easily decompose. Chopping the stalks into shorter lengths also provides better clearance for tillage tools. This eliminates the plugging of tillage tools common in longer stalks. A chopping stalk roll is more aggressive than a conventional stalk roll. A more aggressive stalk roll reduces trash intake into the corn head and the combine. Thereby improving overall combine efficiency and performance.
Case IH corn heads use stalk rolls having four knifes that are bolted to a solid shaft. Adjoining stalk rolls are registered with one another so that as the stalk rolls are rotated the opposed knifes come into contact with opposite sides of the stalk at the same general location thereby cutting the stalk into smaller pieces. It is important that the blades are correctly registered with one another, and that the blades are correctly spaced from one another.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,845,930 and 5,040,361 disclose stalk rolls having interleaved canted blades for chopping the corn stalks. U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,804 discloses a stalk roll having six flutes in which three of the flutes are radially aligned with the central longitudinal axis of the stalk roll. Other chopping stalk rolls are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,304,702 and 4,974,402.
Semi-cylindrical husking rolls have been clamped onto drive shafts by bolts as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,469,687, 2,538,965 and 3,101,720.